Eating before a 10k

endermako
endermako Posts: 785 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm starting to train for a 10k, I haven't decided which 10k I'm participating in quite yet but i'm giving myself several months to prepare.

My question is do you guys eat breakfast before a 10k or do you just have a largish dinner the night before? I'm getting advice from family/friends all across the board but would love some advice for actual runners. If you do eat breakfast, do you keep it light and eat a few hours before?

Replies

  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
    Me, personally, I've never done more than 5k and generally don't eat before. But, a 10k would wear me out, I'd go for a high carb breakfast but light as possible. A stack of light and fluffy pancakes and eggs come to mind. I'd want to make sure there was at least an hour or more to digest before the race after eating though.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    edited April 2018
    My wife usually just eats normally and doesn't do anything particularly special for a 10K. When she's doing a 1/2 marathon or more, that's when she starts carb loading 2 or 3 nights beforehand, but her breakfast is normal. Usually a 1/2 bagel and peanut butter and she'll bring gels with her for anything more than a 1/2.
  • lporter229
    lporter229 Posts: 4,907 Member
    It's a very individual thing. Some people don't run well after eating and some people prefer to have pre race fuel. Physiologically, you should be fine for 10K without eating, but, again, it depends on your preference. I would practice running in the morning and experimenting with it to see what works for you. Personally, I have a frozen waffle with peanut butter and jelly or peanut butter and a banana before every race. Something light in the range of 200-300 calories. I also drink a cup of coffee before I leave the house just to "clear everything out". ;)
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    I don't eat before a morning 10K unless I wake up feeling particularly hungry. If I do feel hungry, I eat something that I've tested prior to previous long runs -- things like a handful of dried fruit or a piece of toast.

    If the 10K is later in the day or I'm up for a while beforehand, I just follow my normal eating pattern.
  • endermako
    endermako Posts: 785 Member
    So it sounds like I should practice these runs on the weekend and experiment with breakfast/no breakfast and see how I do. Thank you for the advice!
  • Kida181
    Kida181 Posts: 17 Member
    I usually eat oatmeal or an energy bar, like two hours beforehand.
    It works for me, it may not work for you. As mentioned, experiment with it during your training runs.
  • NerdyFlex
    NerdyFlex Posts: 1,672 Member
    I love to eat bananas before I run! It really helps energy levels and prevents cramping!
  • pinggolfer96
    pinggolfer96 Posts: 2,248 Member
    Carb loading for a 10k isn’t really necessary. Just test it out when you’re training and find what works for you. Some people like fasted training, some like light meals...etc, it’s up to you
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    for a 10k, i normally do like half a bagel and like a naked smoothie or bolthouse farms (or similar)
  • bisonpitcher
    bisonpitcher Posts: 519 Member
    I like to eat a big meal before a good run. But I also run with a dip in, so I'm a little different than most I would assume :D
  • Azercord
    Azercord Posts: 573 Member
    For anything really sub half I just do a black coffee or free energy drink or whatever free drink is bring passed out but I also train that way. Definitely practice your plan ahead of time and see what you like.
  • bduanemyfitness
    bduanemyfitness Posts: 75 Member
    I always ate before a run. But I ate my normal breakfast, nothing special. And I was sure to eat a couple of hours before I ran. I really never felt the need to change anything about my daily routine before a "race". I was not a competitive runner (i.e., never on the podium), but I was very competitive with myself.

    Like anything, give your running style a try both with and without eating before an early in the day run. It is not so much about figuring out how far you can run with no "extra" fuel. It is more about how you feel running with something in your belly.
  • DX2JX2
    DX2JX2 Posts: 1,921 Member
    You don't really need to fuel a 10K any differently than a normal run. You might find that the runger afterwards is worse than a 5K but that's about it.

    I think many people would say that they don't worry about specifically fueling before or during a run until they get closer to the half marathon distance or a run duration closer to 2 hours. Less than that and your body will generally have enough stored glycogen to use for the duration.
  • zdyb23456
    zdyb23456 Posts: 1,706 Member
    Just black coffee. Any time I run with food in my stomach, I feel gross.

    I run half marathon distances without eating anything beforehand. I’ll sip Gatorade if it’s warm and drink water if it’s cool. I do try to eat a large snack the night before a 10+ mile run.

    If you are a breakfast eater, you’ll probably want to eat something. Try different things and see how you feel, but like my mom always said, wait an hour before swimming after eating. I would think it applies to running too :smile:
  • Cbean08
    Cbean08 Posts: 1,092 Member
    It's only 6 miles. There is no need to "carb load" for a 10k . Really, you shouldn't have to eat a special way while training for one either since your training runs will be short.

    I like to eat before I run. A protein bar and some caffeine work well.
  • BruinsGal_91
    BruinsGal_91 Posts: 1,400 Member
    I can run fasted, but prefer to eat something a couple of hours before the race starts. My go to is a small cup of coffee and a toasted PB and honey sandwich.

    Try a few different things and see what works best.
  • CarvedTones
    CarvedTones Posts: 2,340 Member
    I used to run 6 miles 3 times a week. Longest I ran was a half marathon. unfortunately, knees couldn't take it and now I am a walker. I walked over 5 miles tonight and 4+ is common for me. All these runs and walks are over an hour. I did not want to be very full when I ran and I definitely don't want enough liquid beforehand to have it work through and need to relieve myself before I finish.
  • pomegranatecloud
    pomegranatecloud Posts: 812 Member
    Usually coffee plus a bagel or toast and fruit. I can’t run on an empty stomach.
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    I eat about 80-100 calories of fruit before a run of that distance. I’ve tried banana, figs, apples, and date snacks from Trader Joe’s. They all work fine for a light and quick source of energy.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    firecat1987 wrote: »
    So it sounds like I should practice these runs on the weekend and experiment with breakfast/no breakfast and see how I do. Thank you for the advice!

    Yep.

    I woild have my normal breakfast of protein enriched cereal roughly an hour before a 10k.

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